riklig

Riklig is an adjective used in Swedish and Norwegian to describe abundance or plentifulness. It denotes that something exists in a large quantity or degree and can apply to tangible things such as harvests, rainfall, or resources, as well as to more abstract notions like offerings or opportunities. In usage, riklig emphasizes sufficiency and generosity in amount.

Etymology and cognates: the word derives from the stem rik- meaning “rich” or “abundant,” with the suffix -lig forming adjectives meaning “characterized by.” It is cognate with Danish riglig (and related forms such as rigelig in other Danish contexts). The sense of abundance remains central in modern Swedish and Norwegian usage, with Old Norse roots in related forms.

Usage and examples: riklig is commonly used before nouns, as in en riklig skörd (a rich harvest) and riklig nederbörd (heavy rainfall). It can describe a large population or substantial resources, for example a riklig befolkning or riklige ressurser in broader contexts. Predicative use is also possible: Nederbörden var riklig (The rainfall was abundant). In Swedish, the adverbial form rikligt is used to modify verbs, as in Det regnade rikligt (It rained heavily).

Regional notes: in Swedish and Norwegian bokmål, riklig is the standard form. Danish tends to use rigelig or riglig for parallel meanings.

See also: related terms include rikedom (wealth), riklighet (abundance), and the adjective rik (rich) as a broader semantic family.